Minimum Wage Hike In Effect Next Week

Maine's minimum wage will increase on January 1st, 2018, including wages for service employees.

According to the Maine Department of Labor's website, the minimum wage for Maine will increase from $9 an hour to $10 an hour, effective on Monday, January 1st. Any business with at least one employee is required to comply with this law, including all public and private employers. Employees who work for municipalities, like Bangor, Brewer, or others will want to check with their municipal officials about possible additional regulations.

Service employees are defined as people who regularly receive more than $30 a month in tips. As of January 1st, employers must pay a direct wage to these employees of at least $5 per hour. If an employee's total weekly income, including direct wages plus earned tips, does not average the state required minimum wage, the employer must make up the difference.

Under current regulations, the minimum wage will increase to $11 per hour on January 1st, 2019, with a service wage hike to $5.50 per hour. A year later, on January 1st, 2020, minimum wage will be raised to $12 per hour, with the service employees' wage increased to $6 per hour.